


Comfort in the Dark

by ImaKaraTabiHe



Series: Speedster Family [31]
Category: Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Hyperactive Metabolism, Pain, Sickfic, Speedster Issues, migraines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-30 22:23:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10173713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaKaraTabiHe/pseuds/ImaKaraTabiHe
Summary: Speedster or not, migraines suck.  Luckily, Dick is there for Wally.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Seelie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seelie/gifts).



Speedsters inherently love going fast. Feeling the Speed Force rippling over their bodies – it felt like the wind sometimes, washing over them, enveloping them. It was such a wonderful feeling. There was nothing like going fast.

They love going fast, yet sometimes… sometimes they just want to go slow. Speed is great and all, but there are things you just shouldn't do fast. Like eat cake or hang out with your friends/loved ones. Going slow is all about savoring what they love with who they love.

Still, there are times when they're too tired to go fast, times when they're stuck being slow. That happens for several reasons, one of which is being cold, and another of which, is being hungry. No one can go fast hungry without pushing themselves to the limits, Speedster or not.

Problem is that when Wally gets hungry and worn out, he gets migraines.

The migraines aren't terribly bad, for the most part. It's not like medicine can help, so that's good. Everything just becomes… worse, really.

It's like every sound is amplified, every light is brighter, and nothing helps. Pain stretches across his frontal lobe, settling in around his forehead and dipping down to repeatedly stab at his left eye. Thinking seems to make it worse sometimes, but with his mind, he just can't seem to stop.

Crying, oh boy – crying is terrible. It makes Wally's head pound like he's been thrown into a building and cracked his head on bricks. But the pain can be so bad that he just wants to let it out, let the tears fall. He has to stop himself from crying, because it'll only get worse if he does.

The problem with being run down, hungry, and having a migraine, is that sometimes the pain makes him nauseous. It makes his stomach roll so much until sometimes he throws up any liquid he's managed to drink. Having migraines sucks as much for the average person as it does for a Speedster. Hero or not, they hurt.

Sometimes the only thing to do is grab a cold or warm clothe and get some sleep in a pitch black, quiet room.

Which is why Wally finds himself marching into the kitchen of Mt. Justice, eyes narrowed as he tries to keep the bright light from hitting them. His left eye throbs making him hiss and put a hand over it, hiding it from the well lit room. His free hand pulls the freezer open and grabs an ice pack.

Without removing his hand from his eye, he sets the ice pack down and pulls out a towel, wrapping the ice pack in it to keep it from being painfully cold. The last thing he needs is more pain. Hopefully the cold will help or else he'll be dipping a clothe in some warm water.

“Hey, Walls.” Wally grimaces at the voice and turns, letting his hand fall. He doesn't want anyone to see him struggling. He never does.

“Dick,” Wally exclaims, putting on a strained smile, “what's up?”

Dick frowns, examining him, the ice pack wrapped in a towel, and Wally's pale complexion. “We're going to watch movies. What do you wanna watch?”

Bright, flickering light in dark room? That's the last thing he needs right now. “I'm actually kind of tired, so I'm going to take a nap, but you guys have fun.” Taking the ice pack in his hand, Wally fled, trying not to run from the light.

  


Dick watched Wally go, brows furrowing as he thought. Wally seemed tired, pale, and shaky. The ice pack he'd grabbed was one of the many that they'd taken to keeping at the mountain for wounds sustained during missions or injuries. Wally hadn't been injured in the latest mission, so why did he have one?

Logically speaking, Speedsters recovered a lot faster than normal humans, so any wounds should've healed up quickly. 'But he didn't even notice the cookies on the counter,' Dick noted with a frown. In fact, the Speedster hadn't even given them a glance.

Walking back into the living room, he heard the team talking about which genre movie they should watch. Well, technically, it was Artemis and M'gann talking about it. Conner seemed uninterested. Kaldur looked polite and willing to settle for whichever they decided.

“Hey, Robin, do you think we should watch action or rom-com?” Artemis asked, looking up at him when he walked into the room.

Dick blinked, broken out of his concerns. “What about adventure? _After Earth_ is pretty good. It's got aliens, sci-fi, action, adventure...” He looked at M'gann and gave her a smile. “It's about a father and son who get stranded on Earth in the future after the humans had to abandon it. Basically, they try to survive in the new environment and become closer to one another.”

M'gann nodded, thoughtfully.

“Sounds good, Robs,” Artemis said.

“Where's Wally? Isn't he going to be joining us?” Kaldur inquired, eyes roaming around to find the door.

“Actually, he didn't seem to be feeling well,” Dick admitted. “Does anyone know if he ate when we got back?”

Everyone shrugged, uncertain. It seems like no one had paid enough attention. Dick didn't like that at all. Not one bit.  There was something wrong,  and Dick was going to find out what.

He hoped.

Walking over to Wally's door, he knocked just loud enough to be heard. Dick wasn't really sure why he didn't knock louder. It was a gut feeling. “Wally?” he questioned, listening as only silence answered him. “Are you okay?” No response.

Frowning, Dick quickly entered Wally's code. Knowing each other's room codes was the advantage to having been friends for years. They both never used it unless it was an emergency, or if asked to. Dick was going to count this as an emergency. Having Wally not answer in five minutes was worrisome.

When the door slid open, Dick could see very little. The only light was from the hallway, spilling into Wally's room and revealing the foot of Wally's bed as it shone in. Squinting, he could barely make out a lump under the covers.

“Wally?” he whispered, hesitant to barge in.

A groan made him freeze. “Wally? Are you okay?” Dick softly asked.

“'m fine, Dick,” Wally mumbled, shifting under the blankets a bit to keep his eyes shaded from the light. “Perfectly fine.”

It was obvious that Wally didn't want to continue the conversation, but Dick needed to know why. He wasn't about to go away without making sure that Wally didn't need medical attention. Flash would kill him if he left Wally injured.

“You're obviously not fine,” Dick replied, folding his arms over his chest. “If you were, you'd be in there watching a movie with the team.”

Wally moans, pulling the covers over his head. “No,” he replies petulantly.

Dick raised an eyebrow. “No?”

“I'm fine,” Wally insisted, silently swearing that he hated light at the moment. “Just go have fun with them, Dick. Don't want to miss movie night.”

“I've seen it,” Dick replied, blunt. Sighing, he padded over to the bed, letting the doors close behind him. Carefully, he sat on Wally's bed. “Please, Wally? What's wrong?”

Wally shifted under the covers, poking his head out with an annoyed frown – not that Dick could see it or anything. He was pleased when Dick's hand trailed over his form and found his hair, threading his fingers through the red locks. “I have a migraine,” Wally admits, feeling weak and pathetic.

Dick's fingers pause in his hair before they trail down Wally's head and neck, massaging as they go. “What do you need?” He's not going to ask Wally _how_ Speedsters get migraines. Somehow, he doesn't think Wally would want to explain all of that right now. If Wally is feeling so badly that he doesn't want to be around the team, then Dick is going to help him, however he can.

“Mmm.. That feels good,” Wally sighs, relaxing a little before he remembers Dick asked him a question. He feels around and drags the already lukewarm ice pack out, dragging it over to Dick's free hand. “Could you get me another?” he whispers, a throb making him wince.

Petting Wally's head gently, he takes the ice pack before standing up. “I'll be right back,” Dick assures him. Opening the door, he hears Wally whimper and pull the covers back over his head. 'Sensitive to light,' Dick notes as he exits, making sure to shut the door.

Back in the kitchen again, Dick opens the freezer and sticks the warm pack in to chill again. He reaches out to take another but stops short, closing the freezer again. He doesn't know if Wally's eaten. Dick swears. He meant to ask, but he hadn't.

He opens a cabinet and pulls out a box of saltines. Even if Wally had eaten, he could probably use a snack. Dick thinks for a moment and then grabs a bottle of water. 'Hydration is important too.' Tucking the bottle under his arm and holding the box with the same hand, he finally pulls the ice pack out of the freezer.

Sounds from the TV echo in the hall, a dull roar. Dick frowns as he stops by the door to the living room. He wonders if noise bothers Wally. 'Couldn't hurt to turn it down a bit,' he decides and pokes his head into the room. “Could you guys turn it down a bit? Walls isn't feeling so great.”

Heads turn and look at him, brows furrowing and lips frowning. “Is he sick?” M'gann asks, worried.

Does he tell him that Wally's got a migraine? For someone who jokes and seems to put himself in the spotlight, Wally didn't actually like attention when things were serious. The Speedster preferred that people didn't worry about him. He would go to great lengths not to be a bother, in fact.

“He'll be okay,” Dick answers, sliding passed the issue of actually revealing what's wrong with Wally. “I've got it covered. Just keep it down, yeah?”

They nod, turning the volume to a low rumble. It's definitely not as loud as before, so Dick approves. He resumes his previous course.

Using a finger, the other part of his hand holding the water bottle, he punches in the code and slips into the room. “I'm back,” Dick murmurs. Once again by Wally's side, he continues, “I have the ice pack.” Wally's hand slips out and takes it from him. A whispered 'thanks' was voiced.

“And I got you some water and saltines,” Dick said. “I wasn't sure if you'd eaten or not.”

It's silent before he hears Wally reply. “I could eat a little, I think.”

Wally shuffles, pulling the blankets off and turning on a very low light. It still makes him wince a little. It's only enough to see a little bit, but that's all he needs. His stomach churns with a mixture of eagerness and warning at the sight of the crackers, but he needs to eat.

Dick hands him the saltines without a word, eyes observing Wally's reaction to the saltines. His friend is slow as he opens the crackers and eats them, cautious. Wally seems to struggle every now and then with eating. 'Nausea,' he adds to the list.

Something thuds in the living room and Wally flinches. 'And sensitive to sound,' Dick makes a note of it.

Wally licks salt from his lips, and Dick decides it's a good time give him the water. He watches as Wally gives him a grateful smile before taking small sips of the water. He's not sure if it's the light, but Wally seems to pale a bit more after getting something into his stomach. “Why don't you lay back down, okay? I'm not sure moving too much is good for your head or stomach,” Dick suggests.

“Dude, you have no idea,” Wally grumbles, laying back down without protest.

“Should I call Barry?” Dick inquires gently.

The Speedster shakes his head slowly. “It'll be gone once I get some rest, I'm hoping. The crackers and water helped.”

Dick nodded. “Do you want me to stay here with you?”

Wally opens his mouth, hesitating. “Could you?” he finally responds, voice weak.

Smiling fondly, Dick reaches over Wally and turns the light off. “I could use a nap myself. Maybe if you wake up later we can get some snacks,” Dick tells him, pulling his shoes off and getting into bed with Wally. He almost yelps when he feels Wally's ice pack connect with his bare skin but bites his lip.

“Sorry,” Wally says, pulling the ice pack away and putting it on his eyes. He's grateful that Dick remembered to wrap it in a towel. It would be too cold otherwise. Once Dick is comfortable, Wally whispers to him, “Thanks.”

“Anytime, Walls,” Dick whispers back. “I'm here for you.”

Wally smiles a little, feeling Dick's warmth under the covers with him. Sometimes he doesn't know how he managed to become friends with someone who cared so much for him.

Having gotten something in his stomach and had water, Wally feels a bit better now. The pain has eased up a little and seems to be fading somewhat. He falls asleep to Dick massaging his head, fingers threading through his hair again in a relaxing way.

  


It's 6AM when Dick wakes up to Wally's soft voice. “Dick?” He hears Wally's stomach growl like a monster out for revenge. He chuckles, sleepily.

“Are you feeling any better?” Dick asks, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sits up to see Wally sitting beside him.

Wally smiles at him, light on low, but he looks a lot better than Dick had observed last night. His eyes sparkle a little, not as much as they usually do, but it's enough to let Dick know that Wally's on the mend, even if he's not back at 100% yet. “It doesn't hurt too much right now, but I'm kind of hungry.” He blushes as his stomach growls again. “Or maybe a lot.”

Dick laughs more openly now as he sits up. “Let's grab some food and eat it in here. I'm not ready to be social just yet.”

Wally bobs his head, agreeing. He's not eager to rejoin the loud, bright land of the outside world either. Although he's feeling better now, there's no guarantee that it won't get worse again. It's best to just take it easy until he's back to speed.

They slip out of Wally's room, eyes flicking down the hall. Dick leads, motioning to Wally when he's certain that the hall is secure. It reminds Wally of spy flicks. His lips curve in a grin as he follows Dick, the two of them tip-toeing and trying to avoid anyone and everyone possible.

Slipping passed the living room, they notice Conner. The half-kryptonian tilts his head in their directions, letting them know he knows they're there, but he doesn't try to talk to them, allowing them to slip passed in silence. They freeze in the hall, hearing M'gann talking to Artemis. The two girls walk into the computer room, and when the door closes, Wally and Dick resume their secret mission to get food.

They almost snicker sometimes at each other, but they don't quite manage to burst out laughing. Dick knows that Wally's head wouldn't feel so good at the loud outburst, and Wally knows it too.

With the help of a bag, they grab stuff from the kitchen - some juices, cups, plates, napkins, utensils, and various breakfast foods. It's quite a haul, reminding Wally of the giant bag of candy he'd managed to get for Halloween. Dick kind of looks like one of Santa's elves with the large bag slung over his shoulder. Wally's never telling him that in fear of retaliation though. Ever.

They slip back into Wally's room undetected and sit on the floor, deciding to eat picnic style so they don't get food on Wally's bed. Wally's still careful about what he eats, taking it slow, but Dick can see that he's also eating more.

Dick refills Wally's cup with juice whenever it gets low. He wants to make sure that Wally gets enough juice and food. It's especially important for a Speedster to have enough.

The bag gets refilled with trash once they're finished and they both take turns using Wally's bathroom to relieve their bladders and brush their teeth. Once they're done with that, the light gets turned off again, leaving the room in darkness.

Back in his bed again, Dick's fingers flutter over Wally's temple. “Feeling okay?” He feels Wally's facial muscles move under his fingertips.

Wally smiles in the darkness, nestling under the covers. “Better. Much better,” he tells Dick. “I think I'll be back to speed in a few more hours.”

Dick nods, relieved. He really wasn't sure about giving Wally any medicine. Hyperactive metabolisms made even Batman's tolerance for pain medicine look like it was nothing. “Get some more rest,” he gently urges. “I'll be right here until you wake up.”

“Thanks, Dick,” Wally murmurs, letting himself fall asleep with a much happier stomach and head. The throbbing of his eye and nausea were pretty much diminished with only a low level ache. He couldn't wait to get better, but he was going to take his time, for the moment, and enjoy the nap and his friend's company.

Migraines were utterly horrendous, but with a friend like Dick by his side, this time hadn't been the worst. 'Note to self, get Dick ice cream later,' Wally thought before he fell asleep.

Dick laid beside Wally, watching as he slept and thinking that he was glad he was there to help Wally. Next time, he swore he'd be there again. It's what friends do after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone~ Sorry it's been so long since I've added a new work. I hadn't realized it was so long. I'm hoping to get another fic up soon, but I'm also working on several other fics (like.. six of them - I'm so fidgety).
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed this fic. I wasn't planning on some Dick & Wally fluff, but I liked it. It was a nice change of pace.
> 
> Have a good rest of the week!


End file.
